SW News 08

Knowing the rules of the game

The Looking across LinkedIn or on the pages of sustainable business news sites, barely a week goes by without an announcement by a well-known brand or business about its latest sustainability plan. The level of ambition among big corporates is certainly ramping up, which is amazing to see. It’s no longer about a 30% reduction or a 20% improvement. It’s about being ‘net-zero’, ‘100% circular’ and ‘forest positive’. The language is bold and the commitment is big.

Talking to businesses large and small over the last few weeks, however, it’s clear that policy is trailing corporate ambition and needs to catch up. There’s a gap emerging with businesses wanting to forge ahead but feeling unsure about the new rules of the game. They’re crying out for government to hit reset on policy and regulation to give them certainty and level the playing field.

The good news is, in some areas the rules are becoming clearer. For example, the Irish government published its Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy in early September, setting out the policy changes and new regulations that will come into force over the next few years. Also, in the coming weeks we will have a new Climate Action (Amendment) Bill passed into law, which will lay down the rules that will govern Ireland’s climate action for decades to come.

We need policy and business ambition to be better aligned. Because when businesses know the new rules, they can play the new game. And then we can see who the sustainability winners and losers really are.

Image credit (below): Futerra

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